Oct 4, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) signals after making a reception against the Houston Texans for a first down during the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports.
This offseason, the Minnesota Vikings paid Justin Jefferson a boatload because he is the best wide receiver in the NFL. Kevin O’Connell knows that. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah knows that.
Virtually everyone around the league knows that. Unfortunately, nothing he has done on the field this season has been all that loud.
Jefferson’s 912 yards are second in the NFL, behind only Ja’Marr Chase. He’s going to surpass 1,000 yards for the fifth straight season, and he will continue to climb the record books. The problem is that he has generated all of that production this year without truly having a standout game.
The Vikings have gotten the ball to Jefferson in the end zone just five times. He has three 100-yard performances but has more consistently been in the 80-yard range. Nothing about the production is lackluster, but it’s all a bit less than exceptional as well. For a talent as good as Jefferson, so much is left on the table.
Of course, there is the understanding that limitations exist from the quarterback position. Sam Darnold is playing the best football of his career at this point, but there isn’t significantly better play to be had, either. Darnold attempted to force the ball to Jefferson against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but ball placement and timing often left zero ability for the superstar to take advantage of the opportunities.
It seems logical that the Vikings should target Jefferson down the field more as the year goes on. Minnesota really hasn’t attempted to take the top of the defense, and even safety help over the top doesn’t mean that Jefferson isn’t open. We have seen plenty over the course of his career that the star wideout is capable of making catches in traffic. He will get the job done even if two or three defenders are nearby.
There’s no reason for Kevin O’Connell to run his offense entirely through Jefferson. As much as that would be great, the pass-heavy gameplan would only become more lopsided. That said, it’s clear the interior offensive line has sometimes left the running game in less-than-ideal spots. The more Jefferson can contribute to home run-type plays, the better everything else gets.
If Minnesota can have its superstar string together some multi-touchdown performances or maybe even a 200-yard game, then pedestrian production will enter a whole new realm.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.